Worthy of Love : A DxKxM AU
by uncutetomboy
Summary: DonniexKathyxMikey. Established triad. Mikey reflects on his relationship, how it got started and his feelings for his lovers who help him realize he's Worthy of Love. Turtlecest : MikeyxDonnie inside. Please, R&R! Strong "T".
1. Chapter 1

_Authoress' Notes : Ugh, sorry it took so long to get this out, everyone! But, at long last, I present the DonniexKathyxMikey story you've all been waiting for! I know people are going to complain about Mikey and/or Donnie being OOC, and that's okay. I'm anal when it comes to characterization, and I'm not entirely happy with how this turned out, but my reasoning is this : Donnie and Kathy are in a pre-established romantic relationship, they bring Mikey into the fold. Mikey, as the third member, is trying to find his place in the relationship and is insecure because he sometimes feels second-best or second-choice. Hence his characterization in this, along with Donnie's being slightly more firm and... I guess forward? is the word I'm looking for._

_Anyway, I hope everyone reads, reviews, and most of all : enjoys. If you have suggestions for my writing, I'd love to hear it._

_Dedication : To the person, since it doesn't tell me who, who wanted to read a DonniexKathyxMikey story. This is for you! I hope it meets your expectations. :D_

_Summary : DonniexKathyxMikey. Established triad. Mikey reflects on his relationship, how it got started and his feelings for his lovers who help him realize he's Worthy of Love. Turtlecest : MikeyxDonnie inside. Please, R&R! _

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own any of the characters mentioned or shown below, with the exception of Katherine "Kathy" Jones (no relation to Kat a.k.a. randomlass a.k.a. Neko-chan, before anyone asks); the Ninja Turtles cast belong to Nickelodeon, and the original concept of the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles are the creations of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. I'm just borrowing them to satisfy my Muse, and my Reader's thirst. _

**Worthy of Love**

Mikey sighed, setting aside the gaming controller; he wasn't able to concentrate on his beloved games because of the thoughts going through his head. The night before, he and his Brothers had saved a woman from a mugger and - when Mikey accidentally revealed himself - she'd run from them screaming about monsters. It had got him to thinking about his relationships; rather, one in particular : his relationship with his genius Brother and Kathy Jones. He didn't understand why he was suddenly questioning his position in the unconventional triad, but the doubt that he not only didn't belong but wasn't truly wanted was eating at his usually cheery personality. _You're just a passing attraction, Michelangelo, _a vindictive voice in the darkest recesses of his mind hissed at him. He thought back to how it had started and felt the re-emerging surprise and happiness at his sudden inclusion...

** Two months ago, April 2nd, 2009; Time : 02:56 am... **

Mikey looked up from his cup of cocoa as he heard the soft patter of footsteps entering the kitchen. He smiled wanly at his friend, and Donnie's Girlfriend, Kathy as she puttered to the cupboards and rummaged around. "Hi, Babe; what're you doing up so late?"

Kathy found what she was looking for and, turning towards the fridge with a mug, answered him, "Can't sleep. I'm still running on the adrenaline from all the pranks we played earlier. You okay? I heard you cry out... bad dreams?" She asked gently as she opened the fridge and pulled out the milk, pouring some into her mug; replacing it in the fridge, she closed the door and turned her attention to the microwave.

"I didn't keep you up, did I?" Mikey felt panicked as she placed her mug inside and set the timer to a point that it would warm the milk enough that it wouldn't scald her.

"No, like I said, Mike, I can't sleep. It's not your fault," the microwave beeped at her, so she pulled her mug out and meandered to the table, sitting beside him. "You wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head, not wanting to tell her his nightmare was about her telling him she found him repulsive and wished that he had never been Mutated with his Brothers. Kathy nodded silently, observing him out of the corner of her eyes as he answered, "No, thanks, Kath."

"No problem, Mike," she reached over and placed one of her small hands over his own large one as she turned to regard him with a warm smile, "If you ever need to talk, though, you know I'm always ready to listen. Right?"

Mikey smiled, a small but genuine smile, replying, "I know." They sat in companionable silence, sipping their respective drinks; neither had noticed that their hands unconsciously twined together, locking their fingers together.

They were like that for several minutes before their comfortable silence was broken unexpectedly. "Everything okay in here?"

Their reactions were instantaneous : Kathy squeaked and jumped from her chair into Mikey's lap and Mikey toppled off the side of the chair with the petite brunette in his arms. As a result, they ended up in a compromising position as Donnie looked down at them, amused. "Donnie~," Kathy whined, frowning up at him.

He shrugged, grinning with a chuckle, "Sorry, couldn't resist, Kath." He offered first her and then Mikey a hand up. "You alright, Mike? Normally you're asleep by now."

"Can't sleep," Mikey avoided his Brother's soft gaze, telling himself not to read into their concern for him as their hands dropped. _They're just being concerned like any good sibling would be, Stupid._

"You need to sleep, Mikey," Donnie sighed, exasperated. His Girlfriend yawned, blushing lightly when he turned a fond look her way, "You, too, Beautiful."

With a pout and a roll of her eyes, she allowed Donnie to lead her towards his room. "Night, guys," Mikey smiled slightly, before he yelped as a narrow-eyed Kathy reached back and yanked him out of his chair, sending him stumbling after her and Donnie. "Kath! What -"

"If I'm being made to go to bed, you're coming with," Kathy informed him around another yawn.

"I'll go to bed -"

"I don't think she trusts you to actually get some sleep tonight, Mike," Donnie laughed, looking over his shoulder at the younger Turtle as they walked up the stairs towards the bedrooms. When he saw the confusion on his face, he elaborated, "She wants you to sleep with us." The girl between them giggled, and even Mikey chuckled at how it sounded, and he sighed, "Just sleeping tonight, you two."

They entered his room and Donnie got into the large bed, lifting up the covers for Kathy to crawl in beside him. "C'mon, Mike; I'm tired, you need to sleep, and I wanna cuddle," she frowned at him as the younger Turtle, already sans his gear from earlier, slid into bed beside her; he laid stiffly beside her, even as she curled against his side. "Honestly, Mikey, I don't bite."

"The marks I have say other -" Donnie grunted when she elbowed him sharply.

Mikey chuckled, slowly relaxing at their bickering. "You're more bite than bark, Babe," he murmured, allowing her to curl closer as Donnie curled against her back.

"Shut up and go to sleep," she grumbled playfully as she slowly drifted off to sleep in the warmth of their company.

** Present day... **

It evolved from just the one night until it was very nearly an every night occurrence; Donnie and Mikey would even sometimes sleep in the same bed on nights Kathy didn't stay over. It was just sleeping in the same bed, cuddling until one night - just over a week ago, after Kathy had gotten injured during a night out on patrol with them - it changed drastically.

** May 23rd, 2009... **

Donnie was sat at his unconscious Girlfriend's bedside in the infirmary, his head in his hands as he allowed his emotions to wash over him; he had been going on automatic, forcing his emotions back from the moment the knife had slid into her stomach until she was stable and he had her under using some painkillers.

"Hey, she'll be alright, Bro." He didn't look up when a sea-green hand settled on his shoulder, squeezing slightly.

"Go away, Michelangelo," Donnie wasn't surprised at the harsh tone to his voice, as he had told his other two Brothers to leave when they had tried to comfort him.

"No."

The quiet, stagnant reply made him look up, his eyes red from the tears he was holding back. "I said. Go. Away. Michelangelo," he growled.

"And I said no, Donatello," Mikey shook his head, casting a sad glance over at the unconscious human. "Someone's gotta make sure you get some rest, especially since Kath would kick both our shells if she saw us right now. And she'd be mad, too." He reached for the Purple Bandanad Turtle's hand, tugging him up and towards the bathroom. They passed their other two Brothers, who were hovering in the doorway, as Donnie started to tug backwards a bit.

"I can't rest, Michelangelo. Kathy's hurt, I need -"

"Between Sensei, Leo, and Raph, Kath's in good hands, Don. You got her past the hard part - the rest is up to her, alright?" Mikey slid a look over to Leo who nodded and entered the infirmary to take a seat at the unconscious female's bedside. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up," his voice was soft and soothing as he led the other by the hand into the bathroom, closing the door and turning the shower on, adjusting the temperature so it was warm but not hot. First, he took his own gear off - kneepads, elbow-pads, wrist-guards, belt, Nunchucku, and Orange Bandana were set on the countertop - before he went to the lost-looking Turtle and attentively began removing the other's gear. When he got to the Purple Bandana, he gently undid the knot, taking it off and folding it neatly before he set it with the rest of their gear. Without another word, he picked Donnie's hand up and tugged the taller into the shower, positioning them so the majority of the warm water cascaded over the olive-skinned Turtle. He soaped up a washcloth and went to work, gently cleaning the dirt, grime and his Girlfriend's blood off of the unusually tense Donnie; he was gratified as Donnie relaxed, between his ministrations and murmurs of "She's gonna be fine, Don. Just wait and see. Kath's gonna be just fine."

"Mikey?" Donnie asked quietly as Mikey set aside the washcloth and gently glided his bare hands over the other to help the warm water rinse them off.

"Yeah, Don?" Mikey looked up, only to freeze in surprise as Donnie grasped his face and melded his mouth to the younger's. After a moment of the sea-green Turtle not responding, Donnie began to pull back only to be tugged back into another kiss, this one more heated than the first. Mikey pulled back after a few long moments, his eyes fluttering open again, "Wh... what about Kathy?" He opened them to let the other see the hesitation in his light brown eyes.

Donnie gave the first smile of the last few hours, kissing the shorter Turtle's forehead, "Why do you think she got you to come to bed with us all those weeks ago? Why do you think she never says anything when it comes to us sharing a bed with her not there?"

"She... knows?" Mikey had a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea.

Donnie nodded, "Of course - she knows that I haven't loved you as a Brother in a while. Just like I know she doesn't love you as a Brother. We love you as more than that, we love you as a Lover, not a Brother. Still as family, but different, too. We weren't sure of where you stood, but considering some of your reactions to Kathy, and even me, we thought we'd take a chance."

Mikey smiled, a smile that lit up his whole face as he grabbed Donnie and pressed their lips together more thoroughly. He was confused as Donnie pulled back after a few minutes, as the water slowly cooled. "Don?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Mike, but you stink," Donnie laughed at the insulted look on the other's face. "You cleaned me up, allow me to return the favor," at the end, his voice lowered to a dark and husky tone.

If you asked Mikey to repeat what happened from that point, to them leaving the shower to return to their unconscious third's bedside, he wouldn't be able to speak around the blush that assaults his face.

** Present day... **

Mikey shrieked when two arms slid around his shoulders from behind, a pair of wet lips kissing the back of his head, just above the knot of his Bandana. He heard an unmistakable giggle and frowned slightly, tilting his head backwards to stare into amused hazel eyes, "Kath..."

"Mike..." she mocked in return, leaning over and kissing his beak. "What's botherin' you, Hon?"

"It's the woman from last night, isn't it, Mike?" Donnie spoke up from where he had vaulted over the couch, landing beside the younger.

"What woman from last night?" Kathy blinked as she hauled herself onto the back of the couch and slid over it.

"She saw Mikey when he accidentally stepped into a streetlight and ran screaming," Donnie explained to her as she settled on Mikey's other side.

"She didn't just run away screaming, Don - she called us monsters!" Mikey snapped uncharacteristically as understanding dawned on the girl's face.

"People see what they want to see," Kathy turned slightly, curling one of her legs under her, smiling at him gently as she rested a hand on his bicep.

"Easy for you to say, Babe; you're gorgeous."

"Thanks, but it's true, Mike. Looks are hardly the end all and be all, Hon - despite popular belief," she spoke dryly, her smile shrinking a bit. "Believe me, the hottest guy can be either the most idiotic, or the most calculating, or the most self-centered hypocrites that play with your mind and emotions. They can also be the kindest, or the sweetest that genuinely care. However, it's not their personalities that draw people - it's their looks because us humans, as a rule, are very shallow by nature. Most look only at the surface, not what lays beneath."

"Pretty words from a pretty girl," Mikey smiled slightly, wanting to redirect the conversation.

"I don't think that's going to work, Mikey," Donnie chuckled, seeing her work herself up.

"You're an idiot, Michelangelo," Kathy grumbled before she suddenly lunged for him, kissing him harshly. Pulling back and staring him straight in the eyes as Donnie half-cradled him, she quietly told him, "I love you, green skin, shell, plastron, playful sense of humor and all, Mike. I accept you for who you are beneath the surface, and everyday I'm amazed with the sheer amount of compassion one **person**," she put emphasis on the word, "has for others. Neither Donnie or I will ever leave you, no matter how much our sources of amusement may annoy him or your quirks annoy me. Okay?"

"Promise?" Mikey hated how small he sounded, but he had always had a fear that she'd realize that she and Donnie had better prospects than him.

"I promise," she vowed softly, leaning in and pecking him and then Donnie quickly on the lips. "Now, will you come to bed? It's late and we have practice in the morning."

"Alright," he nodded, smiling as they linked hands, the human girl leading them towards the genius Turtle's room. _If it lasts for a day, or a lifetime, their love is worth it. My love is worth it. I'm worth it._

End.

_Authoress' Notes : And to think this is the easiest of the triads to write and it still took me this long. - . -' It's just after 1:30am here, so if it's a bit sloppy, my sincerest apologies - I wanted to get it done and posted before Hattress decided she didn't like it. This is un-Beta'd except by me, so if there's any mistakes they're my own. Huge shout-out goes to randomlass/Neko of Neko 'n Spice a.k.a. Kathy. This wouldn't be here without your patience and encouragement. I love you, Girlfriend! _

_This is currently incomplete, because there will be - as promised - a second part to this. Even I'm not sure what the second part will be, lol. Keep an eye out, though!_

_Thank you to everyone for Reading, Alerting, and Favouriting myself and my Stories, but most especially to those who take the time to Review; it means a lot. I think everyone else who is also an Author/ess knows this as well as I do._

_Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably __**Constructive**__ Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews._

_Cowabunga,_

_Lor a.k.a. uncutetomboy_


	2. Chapter 2 - Leo's Musings

_Authoress' Notes : A story completed in two days by uncutetomboy? *le gasp* Unheard of~! Anyway, not entirely happy with this, but it is what is is, y'know? Hope you like - it's kinda long... XD This is basically, Leo's view of the triad of DonniexKathyxMikey. I'm actually nice to Leo during this, so I'm quite impressed with myself, lol. Also, thank you to randomlass (I love you, Neko-chan! Mwah~! :* ), AshK1980 (much appreciated, TJ), and Guest (glad you enjoyed it) for your reviews! This is un-Betaed, so any mistakes are my own. _

_Anyway, I hope everyone reads, reviews, and most of all : enjoys. If you have suggestions for my writing, I'd love to hear it._

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own any of the characters mentioned or shown below, with the exception of Katherine "Kathy" Jones (no relation to Kat a.k.a. randomlass a.k.a. Neko-chan, before anyone asks); the Ninja Turtles cast belong to Nickelodeon, and the original concept of the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles are the creations of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. I'm just borrowing them to satisfy my Muse, and my Reader's thirst. _

**_Worthy of Love : Leo's Musings_**

Leo watched from the shadows, feeling satisfied as he watched his two younger Brothers be led by the hands to the genius Turtle's bedroom by their Lover. Kathy ushered the two Turtles in ahead of her and, before she entered Donnie's bedroom, turned around and looked straight at him before dipping her head in thanks and entering the room. Leo smiled, knowing he did the right thing by interrupting Kathy's study group to let her know about Mikey's odd behaviour. He knew the youngest Turtle would never come out and state his insecurities, so he took matters into his own hands. As the eldest, he always tried to do his best by his family, which sometimes made him seem to be self-righteous, but with Kathy constantly calling him out on his methods, he was getting better.

He turned around and headed back towards the dojo, wanting to get in some extra practice before he went to bed and thought back on the younger Jones' unconventional relationship with his two youngest Brothers. She'd always been close to them, even though she was closer to Raph than either of them, it was always clear to him that she wanted to make sure they felt wanted. He'd first noticed a change one night when Donnie had been in his lab all day, and Mikey effortlessly coaxed him out and to bed.

*** A month before... ***

Leo raised an eyeridge when he noticed Mikey carrying a dozing Kathy towards Donnie's bedroom from the living room where the two had been having a Superhero movie marathon, "Uh, Mike, shouldn't Don be carrying his Girlfriend?"

"Don's still in his lab, Bro," Mikey nodded towards the closed door, pausing on the stairway.

"Mm, wha?" Kathy blearily opened her eyes, peering around sleepily. "Wha's goin' on?"

"Go back to sleep, Babe; I'm just taking you into Don's room so you won't be sore come morning," Mikey smiled down at her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "The couch is not your friend."

"M'kay," she murmured sleepily, nuzzling her head again his plastron, "Ya're stayin' wi' us t'nigh'?"

"You want me to, Kath?" Mikey's voice was uncharacteristically low and soothing, causing Leo to become curious.

"Wouldn' ask if ah didn' wan', Hon," Kathy sighed, somehow managing to sound exasperated at the same time as exhausted. "Don still in 'is dung'on?"

Mikey chuckled, "Yeah, he's still in the lab. Wonder what he's tinkering with?" He shrugged before continuing up the stairs, "I'll put you to bed and then I'll go get the Mad Scientist, Babe."

"Good," she hummed, her voice becoming heavier with sleep. "Nigh', Leo."

"Good night, Kathy," the eldest smiled gently as he watched the two youngest of their mismatched family slip into Donnie's room; a few moments later, Mikey came out sans the karate practitioner and headed back down towards Donnie's lab. "Mike, is there something going on between you three?"

Mikey looked taken aback, blinking as though Leo had physically hit him, "No, Bro."

"Are you sure? Because I noticed you seem to be spending a lot of time with them, and I don't want any toes to be stepped on... or any hearts be crushed," his tone was knowing as he watched the Nunchucku wielder blush. He knew the youngest Turtle had a crush on Casey's Ward from their first meeting, which grew the more he got to know her - it wasn't hard to deduce, despite Leo's supposed obliviousness - and a soft spot for their genius Brother.

"We'll be fine. It's not like we're sleeping together, like having sex," Mikey gave a crooked smile before moving around Leo and knocking on the door to the Lab. "It's actually kind of comforting, just... curling together. It's nice. You should try it," he teased over his shoulder before he entered and closed the door. "Night, Bro."

Leo was even more curious and crept to the door, listening intently.

"Mikey? What's up?"

"C'mon, Don. Bedtime."

"I'll be there in a bit, I just need to finalize some calculations -"

"Either you come now or I stay here with you, and we both know what'll happen if Kath wakes up and finds out that you're still holed up in your dungeon, Don," Mikey's voice was amused.

"Why does she insist on calling it a dungeon?" Leo smiled at the exasperation in Donnie's voice, "There is nothing dungeon-esque about my lab!"

"I dunno, Bro - it's dark and filled with what could be considered torture devices to a lot of people. That's pretty dungeon-esque to me. C'mon, bed. If you come, I promise I'll make those blueberry pancakes you like so much~."

"Blackmail," Donnie huffed before a pause was had. "Fine, I'm coming, just let me save - there we go. Okay, come on; last thing we need is a cranky Kathy on our hands during morning practice." Leo heard them coming closer to the door and melted more in the shadows, wanting to be able to observe.

"Trying to give me nightmares, Don?" Mikey teased as they exited, walking together with Donnie's arm casually over his shoulders.

"Well, if you do have them, Mike, then I'll be able to soothe them away," Leo's eyeridges rose in surprise at the obvious husk in Donnie's voice.

Leo watched silently from his spot in the shadows as Donnie and Mikey, lightly teasing each other, entered the older's bedroom and silently vowed to keep an eye on the three, as well as have a chat with his student.

He didn't have a chance to speak with Kathy until a few days later, when his Brothers had to stay after practice to perfect their sneaking technique - he'd, of course, already passed the test, as had Kathy even though the other three had good naturedly complained that Splinter went easy on her. He knew he had at the least twenty to thirty minutes before his Brothers would complete the exercise. "Kathy, may I have a word?"

She nodded, a knowing look in her hazel eyes, "Lead the way, Leo." She gestured him to precede her out of the dojo. When they got to the doorway, they both turned and bowed towards the front before pattering out. He led her to the kitchen where he busied himself putting on the kettle for hot drinks for them. "Ask away, Creeper," she drolled, cradling her chin in the palms of her hands as she placed her elbows on the table, having taken a seat.

"Creeper?"

Kathy rolled her eyes at him, "You may be the master of Ninjutsu, but casual you aren't, Leo; just ask what you want to ask me, instead of beating around the bush. I'm not the only one who noticed you watching Donnie, Mikey, and I - both Raph and Otou-san have, too." She grinned, "Why do you think Otou-san went easy on me? We both knew you wanted to talk."

"Alright. You do realize the risk you're taking, playing with Donnie and Mikey's hearts, don't you?"

Instead of rising to the bait, she raised an eyebrow, "If you mean, letting them explore their feelings for each other - and me - then, yes." She sighed, "Look, Leo, I know you're concerned, but it'll be fine. If they decide they're better off as Brothers, instead of Lovers, then that's their prerogative. The worst that will happen is that they'll be a little awkward around each other, and me, for a bit - it's not like they're you and Raph. It's Mikey and Donnie, both who care too much to even think about holding a grudge against each other; now, if it were you and Raph, I'd be concerned about the Lair being destroyed," there was a teasing glint in her eyes.

"I'm serious, Kathy," Leo sighed, handing her a steaming mug of cocoa he'd just poured. "I just don't want anyone getting hurt. I know you're the one behind the sudden change in their relationship, and I just want to make sure you know what you're doing," he sat down beside her, a steaming mug of tea in front of him.

"Donnie and Mikey are more aware of the changes they're making in their relationship than you think, Leo," Kathy informed him sharply. "Or have you been so focused on the larger aspects of it that you've missed the smaller?"

"I'm not sure I understand, Kathy," Leo furrowed his eyeridges.

"Mikey's calmed down a lot, don't you think?" She smiled mysteriously, continuing, "And Donnie's not in his lab for hours upon hours anymore. They're seeking out each other's company a lot more than they did before, allowing themselves to rely on the other. Plus, it's giving them something to think about in regards to their relationships."

"How so?" Leo admitted to being curious, as well as surprised, at how calm she was in the face of his questioning.

She took a sip of her cocoa, sighing happily as it slipped down her throat, "The other day, I found Mikey and Raph fiddling with the Shell cycle, coming up with designs to "improve" it. There was no bickering, no death threats, no pranking, nothing - they were just spending time together, without any disruptions. And they were enjoying it. They even played video games together after, without the controllers being thrown around. Donnie has asked Raph for help when it comes to some of the tinkering he's been doing lately. They've even been seeking you out more - or haven't you noticed Mikey asking you to help him with his training? Or Donnie asking you for your opinion on a new invention?" She grinned mischievously when she saw the surprise in his gray eyes, "You really haven't noticed, have you?" She giggled when he frowned slightly at her, not liking that she was noticing things he wasn't, "For better or worse, Leo, this relationship is helping them see there's more than what's in our individual worlds. No matter what else happens, we're all becoming better people for it." She took a deep drink of her cocoa, as the sounds of playful jibes sounded coming towards them, looking him in the eyes with a serious expression, "Whatever else happens, Leo, they're happy. That's all you've ever wanted for them, that's all I've ever wanted for them." She looked to the doorway as Donnie, Mikey, and Raph entered, "How'd it go, Boys?"

"You should've seen it, Babe! Don and I came up with the most epic plan ever and, since we both got the candle from Sensei at the same time, he deemed us passing the test!" Mikey crowed, fist pumping the air before he grinned at a surly-looking Raph, "Raph used the distraction of us celebrating to take it from us, though, so Sensei said he passed, too."

"How t' shell did ya get past Splinta so quick, Kath?" Raph grumbled, sitting down beside him.

"Easy," Kathy pet him on the head, ignoring his growl, "I'm his favorite~."

Leo sat back and watched the three interacting and bantering about who Splinter's favorite was for a few moments before he decided he wanted to join in, "Nah, you're all wrong. I'm Father's favorite."

"Ah, your assumption would be incorrect, my Son," Splinter chuckled, entering the kitchen at that moment. "Miss O'Neil is, undoubtedly my favorite," his dark eyes twinkled merrily as the five groaned and moaned, "she does make quite the treats." Immediately, Mikey and Kathy began to playfully argue that their cooking was far better than Aprils, causing a mildly heated debate about why each one of the five young students should be Splinter's favorite.

*** Present ... ***

It wasn't until the week before Leo saw the truth in Kathy's words to him. He frowned, remembering the pain on her face and hearing her grunt as the knife slid into her stomach.

*** A week before... ***

Leo blocked the blade coming towards him with his crossed Katana, grunting as he forced it away, kicking his assailant away violently. He kept watch on his Brothers and Kathy out of the corners of his eyes, but they seemed to be holding their own; Donnie and Mikey were working together, drawing the Purple Dragons' ire while Kathy and Raph worked along the exterior with him. A glint of metal being drawn back caught his attention and he watched with horror as the Purple Dragon, knife ready to strike, headed towards Donnie. "Don! Move!"

Kathy apparently saw it at the same moment because she barreled through the few remaining Purple Dragons, shoving Donnie out of the way. She grunted as the knife slid into the side of her stomach, but she managed to stay standing and used a hammer-fist punch to knock the Purple Dragon to the ground. Leo's eyes were fixed on her, already moving, as she wavered, only to have Mikey suddenly at her side to catch her around the waist. "..." Her carefully controlled breathing seemed loud in the sudden silence before Donnie's roar of pure rage sounded. Mikey maneuvered himself and her to the ground so she was leaning against him, being careful as possible. Leo made it to Kathy's side, laying a slightly shaking hand by the area the knife was sticking out of, as Donnie and Raph tore through the remaining Purple Dragons, a few of which - including the knife wielder - he was sure were killed because of their lack of movement or rising chests.

"Just stay still, Kath, you're gonna be alright," he soothed, looking into her eyes and trying to send her strength, seeing the pain in her eyes, as he picked up her hand and squeezed it gently. "Don, is it safe to remove the knife?" He looked over as a now carefully calm Donnie knelt beside him.

Donnie carefully probed around the area, wincing when she moaned in pain. He turned agonized eyes to the eldest, "I don't know, Leo. I don't have enough field dressings, either."

"Don, jus' take it out," Kathy pleaded.

"Kathy, I -"

"Do. It," she hissed, "Ah don' think it hit anythin' vital, bu' it migh' if y'leave it in." She squeezed Leo's hand, focusing on breathing through the pain. "Please. It hur's!" She moaned, trying not to scream as the knife moved slightly, sending a searing pain through her side.

"Alright," Donnie agreed reluctantly. "Mikey, I need her laying flat - I don't want to chance the knife coming out at an angle and causing more damage. Leo, I need some sort of cloth - anything that I can use as a compress." Leo nodded and moved towards the less dirty of their assailants. "Raph..."

"Yeah?" Raph crouched down at Kathy's side.

"Hold her hand - I'm afraid this will hurt a lot," Donnie's voice was soft at this admission.

Raph simply nodded as grasped her hand as Leo returned with a carefully folded piece of cloth, along with several long strips of cloth. "C'mon, Girly, y'll be fine," Raph comforted as Donnie grasped the hilt and slowly eased it out of her stomach with a wet sucking sound. As soon as the knife was clear, Donnie setting it aside, he moved the fabric of her simple pink shirt, now stained red in the area around the knife's entrance, up and Leo gently pressed the makeshift compress against the wound.

The rest of the night, looking back, was a blur of motion to Leo and Raph as they raced back to the Lair carrying the injured girl while Donnie and Mikey went ahead to prepare the medical room for their arrival. Leo glanced over at the pale girl in his Brother's arms as he and Raph flew over the rooftops; she was breathing shallowly with her eyes closed against the pain of their landings. Arriving at the warehouse they used as a garage, Leo keyed the code in and ushered Raph in ahead of him all while hoping they weren't too late as Kathy drifted in and out of consciousness. They got to the medical room and, laying the softly whimpering girl down on one of the two beds, were told politely to leave so Donnie could fix her; Leo and Raph paced in front of the closed door as Mikey and Donnie worked inside. They heard Mikey cooing to her as she finally cried out at the pain. It seemed like an eternity passed until Mikey emerged, a tired look in his eyes as her cries turned to murmurs and then quiet whimpers.

"She alrigh', Mike?" Raph asked gruffly.

The usually cheery Turtle nodded, a grim look on his face, "Donnie's finishing sewing her up - thankfully the knife didn't hit anything major. She lost a lot of blood, but she's gonna be fine. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Where are you going, Mikey?" Leo was surprised - he didn't expect Mikey to leave their friend's side at all that night.

"I'm gonna go let Sensei know what happened, and someone's gotta call Casey and April. Keep an ear out for Don?" He requested, unsurprisingly serious.

"'Course," Raph agreed immediately.

They watched Mikey walk away before Leo shook his head, "She was right."

"Wha'd Kath say t'ya, Fearless?"

"She told me that their changing relationship was helping both of them become better versions of themselves and find themselves, and she was right. Before, Mikey would have never been so responsible as to think about speaking to Father, Casey, or April about that. It's usually my job," he replied quietly.

"Well, we gotta grow up, sometime, Bro," Raph clasped Leo's shoulders as the sounds inside died down. "It was jus' a matter of time, yeah?"

"Yeah," Leo nodded, rushing into the room with him as they heard something crash against the wall with a primal yell. They saw Donnie breathing heavily, hands clenching and unclenching as he stared at the liquid dripping down the wall from where he threw its glass container and moved to his side. "Don, she'll be fine -" He moved to touch the younger's shoulder, only for Donnie to move deftly out of the way and turn to glare at his two older Brothers.

"Don't touch me, Leo. If I had been more observant, she wouldn't need to be fine, because she wouldn't be there!" Donnie growled, dark chocolate eyes flashing angrily as he gestured to where the young Jones was asleep, quiet murmurs escaping her lips. "She'd be fine! I wouldn't have almost **lost** one of the single most important things in my **life**!" He seemed to sag in on himself and his voice wavered, "Just... I'd like to be alone, please."

"Bro, it ain' yer fault," Raph ignored the tense body posture and clapped a hand on Donnie's shoulder, only to have his hand shrugged off harshly.

"Leave," it came out as a partial plea and partial demand as he sat down in a chair by Kathy's bedside, but the two older knew when one of their Brothers was past the point that he'd listen, and knew Donnie had met that limit.

"Alright, we'll be just outside, Don," Leo agreed gently before herding Raph out the door.

The two waited outside for a tense ten minutes before Mikey reappeared and he looked between them, a question in his eyes. "Don's on a Fearless binge of self-blame," Raph supplied his answer, ignoring the dark look Leo gave him.

Without saying anything, Mikey entered the room, and rested a hand on Donnie's shoulder with his words too quiet for the two elder to hear. They did notice Mikey grab Donnie's hand and pull him from the room, so they hovered closer to the doorway. "I can't rest, Michelangelo. Kathy's hurt, I need -" Donnie babbled, trying to tug his hand out of the younger's grip.

"Between Sensei, Leo, and Raph, Kath's in good hands, Don. You got her past the hard part - the rest is up to her, alright?" Mikey slid a look over to Leo, who nodded and entered the medical room as the two younger headed towards one of the bathrooms.

Leo sat down at the unconscious human's bedside, picking up her limp hand in his and meditating as he wished he could help more than he was. It was a while before Mikey or Donnie returned to the room, and Kathy was sleeping restlessly. "She's tough; if anyone can get through dis, 's her, Leo," Raph nodded a half hour later from his position on the other side of the bed, holding her other hand.

"I know, Raph," Leo sighed, glad that she was going to be fine.

It was another fifteen minutes later that Donnie and Mikey returned, causing Raph to ask gruffly, "Stop fer Chinese or somethin', Bros? Or was the shower sex dat good?" He sneered, not expecting their heated blushes, and began to laugh at them, "Yer kiddin'?!"

*** Present... ***

Leo chuckled as he finished his impromptu practice and bowed out of the dojo before heading to his room, knowing that - like Kathy said - if nothing else, they were all happy at the current time. After all, everyone was worthy of love.

**_Story end._**

_Authoress' Notes : Yay! Completed~! *dances happily* Please, let me know your thoughts on this - the good, bad, and ugly - as Leo's semi-omnipresent POV was hard for me to write due to he and I not getting along, ha. Right now, though, I'm going to bed, lol. I'm exhausted and have work in the morning. Gah, real world sucks. X3_

_Thank you to everyone for Reading, Alerting, and Favouriting myself and my Stories, but most especially to those who take the time to Review; it means a lot. I think everyone else who is also an Author/ess knows this as well as I do. Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably __**Constructive**__ Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews. _

_Cowabunga, _

_Lor a.k.a. uncutetomboy _


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